Module 1: Presidency, Bureaucracy, Congress

Enumerated powers

explicitly stated in Constitution

Necessary and Proper clause

Article 1, section 8 Congress allowed to fulfill legitimate means to carry out enumerated powers. allowed expansion of national gov; McCulloch vs. Maryland

(aka elastic clause)

Congress has

implied, delegated, inherent, and enumerated powers

Congress has power to regulate and discipline itself

expulsion, censure (formal letters of admonishment), ex post facto laws

Habeas corpus

Latin “you have the body,” right to be brought before a judge who will explain charges against prisoner

Nobility

“Congress is prohibited from granting titles of nobility”

McCulloch vs Maryland (1819)

established constitutional basis for Congress to exercise implied powers through the necessary and Proper Clause. The federal government had implied powers beyond those enumerated in the Constitution, as long as they were in pursuit of constitutional ends.

Taxes

income, progressive, payroll (social security & medical), regressive, sales, sin, estate

Budget and Accounting Act

president sends a budge to Congress for each fiscal year

Budget Enforcement Act (BEA)

mandatory spending for entitlements, discretionary spending, pay as you go system, caps (upper limits)

Article 8, section 1

power to borrow money, right to coin and print money, establish uniform rules on declaring bankruptcies, right to establish post offices/post roads, to raise an army and maintain navy and declare war, establish uniform rules on declaring bankruptcies, punish piracy, gives authors/inventors right to respective writings and inventions, and “necessary and proper clause”

also gives power to control Washington DC

Administrative discretion

Congress passes legislation that provides government with agencies that have guidelines to follow

Head of State

president performs symbolic duties and represents national unity at home and abroad—distinct from political or policy-making roles

Article 2

Presidency

Article 2, section 2

commander in chief of all military forces

Executive Orders

allows president to circumvent Congress, they have the rule of law if the courts don’t overturn them. they create or shape policies without congressional approval.

Executive privilege

president withholds information from Congress, the judiciary, and the public

Article 2, section #4

Vice presidency

Office of the First Lady

primarily involved with social ceremonies and events related to the White House. as well as with promotion of worthy causes.

22nd Amendment (1951)

limits president’s office to max of 10 years

Pardons and Reprieves

President has powers to grant pardons and reprieves for “Offenses against the United States.” but no power to pardon impeachments

Reprieves

reduces severity of a convicted person’s punishment though person’s guilt remains and some punishment is still delivered.

Veto

If the president doesn’t approve of bill, he returns it to the House where bill originated, w/ statement of objections to the bill.

President’s veto may be overridden by…

2/3 majority in both houses

Pocket veto

if president doesn’t sign bill and Congress adjourns within 10 days of president’s receiving it

Earmarks or Pork Barrel spending

federal funds being designated for specific purposes that assist Congress members’ constituencies

Gerrymandering

process of creating new political districts for the purpose of making districts intentionally politically “safe.” Supreme Court deemed gerrymandering unlawful but ruling supplied no definition of gerrymandering

House of Representative requirements

at least 25 y/o, US citizen at least 7 years by time of seating, must reside in state they wish to represent, election every 2 years

Presidential succession Act of 1947

president - vice president - speaker of the House - president pro temp of Senate (the most senior member of the majority party in the Senate

Pendleton Act 1883

first law to make some government jobs off-limits to patronage (the ability to give jobs to friends and supporters).

Privatization

turning over of functions to the private sector, handing over to private enterprise work that was formerly done by government employees.

Deregulation

if government regulates less and allows private enterprise greater freedom, government growth will slow bc less regulation to enforce.

Devolution

turning over of functions carried out by federal government to the states

Independent Executive Agencies

(not subject to the regulatory of any specific department of fed gov, ex: Federal Reserve and EPA) they are appointed by the president, more focused tasks than Cabinet, and have mission-driven, survival goals

Private corporation vs gov corporation

main difference = private profits are distributed as dividends while gov profits go towards perpetuating corporation

How bill becomes a law

introduction, committee, subcommittee, committee, (in house: rules committee then Calendar)

Open rule

permits amendments

Closed rule

does not permit amendments

Filibuster

used in Senate. talking a bill to death. Cloture can be initiated by at least 16 senators to check the filibuster.

Fast-track authority

the power to approve or disapprove, but not amend, treaties

Purposes of media

1. hold politicians accountable

2. inform people about what government is up to

   1. identify problems and present potential agenda items to the country

Bureaucratic imperialism

bureaucrats in these agencies (CIA, FBI) were protecting the interests of their agencies and thus their own careers, so seemingly lack of deliberate communication.

Issue networks

groups with a particular interest in a particular issue will band together to advocate that issue

Market-driven journalism

“if it bleeds, it leads” news always filled with stories of violence that take place far away but less riveting political matters go unnoticed.

Pundit class

professional commentators

Forms of media bias

story selection, omission, commission, word choice or tone, labeling, image selection

Deepfakes

used by domestic and foreign actors to create convincing fake videos or images of individuals, risking serious reputational damage, spreading misinformation, and fanning distrust in virtual public square

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

primary goal is to prevent one corporation from gaining too much of the media market and maintain some level of decency